Grain-cleaning machinery.



PATEN'NND JULY 31, 1966.

.1". WQGOMSTOGK. GRAIN CLEANING MACHINERY.

APPLIOATION PILEDMAY 16, 1905.

Wed' lmmi 1 l THE Nonars PE :Ess ce., wAsmNcmNfD. c.`

`UNITED sra'rns i"irrnufr'd OFFICE.,

FRANK W. GOMSTOCK,` or -iiO'sANGELEs CALIFORNIA.

. GRAIN-CLEANINGMAHINERY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May I6, 1905..V '.SerialvNo. 260.681.

Patntedauiy s1, 190e. i

To all whom it wry/olly.@o1/townh-4 Be it known that I,.FRANK W. CoMsTooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented newA and useful Improvements in Grain-Cleaning Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to a cleaning or aspirating machine; andl my invention resides particularlyV in the means which I have herein shown and described to increase or decrease the channel through which the air asses in screening or cleaning the grain of ust, chaff, and other foreign substances; and the objects of my invention 4 are to im rove the capacity, efficiency, and

adaptability of the present grain cleaning or as irating machine for .the various duties ca led upon it to perform, owing to the different'weight, size, and configuration of the grain operated upon and the different conditions in which the grain is found as to cleanliness orotherwise. I'accomplish these objects by means of the device describedherein and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which` r Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aspiratingseparator embodying my invention. Fig. 2y is a vertical longitudinal section of the casing of the air-channel with my adjustable and supplementary side therein. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the casing surrounding the airchannel. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the casing and adjustable side, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In all machines of this character of which I am familiar various devices and means have been resorted to to increase the volume of air and the `rapidity with, which it passes up through the air-channel, such as valves and means to increase rapidity in the movement of the fan; but no machine of which I am aware has heretofore employed any means to f increase Aand decrease the size or capacity of the air-channel.

In the drawings, A represents an aspirating-separator having the usual fans therein with means to operate the same (not shown) and has secured thereto the casing C, surrounding the air-channel E.

- I) re resents the wire-screen over which the gram passes on its way to the air-channel.

`The air passes up through the channel in the direction indicated by thearrow-heads therein.' Now it is a matter of importance Ithe channel.

{.thatthe'oper-ator .should haveat hand relijable :meansto `.increase :the velocity ofthe air passing upward through this channel, and I have 'therefore provided a su plementary 6o movable and adjustable side 1F, the later movement ofr which will increase or decrease the area of the channel', and thereby decrease or increase the movement of the air passing therethrough without the manipulation of valves or increasin or decreasing the rapidity with which the an is operated. This adjustable side has an air-tight fit in the casing, I have provided means to impart lateral `movement to the supplementary side by 7o means of the adjusting-bolts G, carrying on their outer end thumb-nuts II. These bolts are revolubly mounted in the inner casing C, -but are prevented from longitudinal movej ment therein and pass transversely through the air-channel and thence through an internally-threaded nut I, rigidly secured in the supplementary side, and cause the side to move on the rotation of the bolts. These bolts also pass through the casing C, onwhich 8o there are secured cross-bars J, in which the bolts are free to revolve, although having no longitudinal movement therein.

Now when it is desired to increase or decrease the size of the channel E the adjusting- 8 5 bolts Gr areturned by means of the thumbnuts II on the projecting end of the bolts. This will cause the supplementary side F to move out or in', as desired. This adjustment can be made whilethe machine is in opera- 9o tion, andthe velocity of the air passing through the air-channel can be regulated to properly treat the grain that is being passed through the machine.

On the upper` art of the adjustable side I 95 haye provided a ateral extension F disposed at right angles to the main side to provide for the lateral movement of the side and prevent the access of air to the channel, this extension having an air-tight fit in the top of the casing, roo as at K. By means of this horizontal eXteny sionA F also the air is shut 0H outside of the supplementary side F 'regardless of the position to which the .latter is adjusted instead of 105 Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, is j In a cleaning or aspirating machine for cleaning grain or the like, the herein-deno scribed means to increase or decrease the size of the air-channel comprising the laterallymovable side 'F having on the upper end side and adapted to receive the bolts G; thereof the lhorizontal extension F havin cross-bars J secured to the casing G and an air-tight lit in the casing C of the chanadapted to permit the rotation of the bolts nel and means to move the movable side lattherein.

5 erally comprisin the adjustingscreW-thread- In Witness that I claim the foregoing I ed bolts G, revoubly mounted in the inner have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th side C of the casing of the channel but seday of May, 1905.

cured against longitudinal movement there- FRANK W. COMSTOCK. in, the said bolts having on their outwardly- Witnesses: Io projecting ends thumb-nuts H; internally- HENRY T. HAZARD,

threaded nuts I afxed in the supplementary G. E. HARPHAM. 

